WHITE METALS

*A CUSTOMERS GUIDE

White gold, palladium and platinum are the three precious metals commonly turned to when a customer likes a pale or white metal and silver is not appropriate for the piece. 

All three metals have great benefits and distinct disadvantages, so it can sometimes be very clear which metal is best suited to the job. It is important to remember that these differences are not always as clear to a customer, who are judging based on the aesthetic of the piece and not the ease or particularities of manufacturing.

Platinum is one of the most common white metal alternatives. It is a beautiful metal, with many features that make it fantastic for jewellery. Platinum has been documented throughout history, from ancient Egypt to ancient South America. It was only popularised in Europe in the 1750s, after its properties were fully exploited in jewellery and used in the French court. 

Platinum supply has often been restricted in jewellery, as it is important in manufacturing. However, in the present day, it is fully available to the jewellery industry. 

Platinum is less common in Australia, as casting is the predominant manufacturing technique, and until recently, platinum was a difficult metal to cast. Platinum requires slightly different techniques and higher heat, which can be intimidating without experience. Coupled with not being promoted to the consumer, it is the most under-appreciated of the white metals. There are a few main benefits of platinum for the customer. 

Firstly, platinum’s properties make it fantastic for jewellery. It is highly dense, which means it is very heavy. This weight can be very appealing for the consumer, especially in men’s wedders. It is also highly ductile, which means it can be worked extremely thinly and ornately and still have strength and structure. This can mean very complicated pieces that are actually lighter due to platinum’s strength. 

In turn, this makes it highly durable. Less prone to scratching, platinum doesn’t actually lose material when scratched but instead deforms. This makes it easy to re-polish without compromising the integrity of the piece and losing material over time. This durability continues when it is used as a setting, with platinum claws lasting longer and at less risk of damage during everyday wear. 

For some platinum wedding bands and pieces, platinum can be fused instead of soldered. Unlike solder, fusing uses only the metal itself, forming a stronger join and if executed correctly can last much longer than a soldered join. This is a special property of platinum, and requires extremely high temperatures and an intimate knowledge of the technique to achieve. 

This durability makes it excellent for pieces that the customer is planning to pass down. 

The purity of platinum puts it ahead of white gold, as it means that there is no discolouration over time, as well as being hypoallergenic and less likely to cause skin reactions. It is also highly chemical resistant. 

It isn’t well known, but it is actually rarer than gold, while also being more affordable than gold. 

In colour, platinum is an extremely bright white that can polish to a highly reflective surface. It is very complimentary when paired with white diamonds, as it brings out their brilliance extremely effectively. The clear white colour can also provide a pleasing contrast when paired with coloured stones, and increase their vibrance due to the light reflecting from the platinum and through the stones. 

Platinum has two distinct disadvantages that mean it can sometimes be better to turn to other white metal alternatives. The main one is its weight. While the weight can be attractive for some consumers, and I have found it to be very popular in men’s wedding bands for this reason, it also can mean it’s not suited to heavier designs such as earrings or pieces that require large solid pieces. Platinum can simply be too heavy for some designs, leading to rings that swing around the finger, and earrings or brooches that are uncomfortable due to their weight. 

The weight in turn increases the cost of platinum in the piece, as metal is often charged by the gram. This can mean that for the slightly heavier pieces, platinum becomes too costly when combined with the design. In my experience, I have found that currently the cost of platinum compared to white gold and the weight comparison means the two materials end up costing about the same for a simple design. 

The other disadvantage in Australia, is that there are many jewellers who don’t work in platinum, or are not confident in repairing platinum jewellery. Platinum requires specific knowledge to work, and the ability to work at hight temperatures. Unlike gold, the temperatures required to work platinum require specialised equipment and safety gear. I would only recommend platinum jewellery if the jeweller sold platinum and was able to repair it. It would not be beneficial to guide a customer towards platinum if there is no ability to adjust or repair the piece. 

White gold is the most common alternative to platinum in Australia, and indeed is actually more ubiquitous than platinum. This is sometimes surprising, but shows that consumers here simply have a preference for ‘gold’ over platinum, regardless of the cost or the benefit to the piece. 

White gold is a type of gold alloy. It’s a combination of pure gold combined with other metals to give it a white or pale colour instead of a deep yellow colour. This is usually achieved with silver and another white metal. 

Historically, nickel was the most common alloy that produced the whitest gold. Nickel has health effects however if in contact with human skin for extended periods of time. This is called contact dermatitis, which can include rashes, blisters, swelling and bumps. 

Nickel sensitivity can also occur, where even after the nickel is removed, the rash response lingers in the system and the person can become increasingly sensitive to even the smallest amount of nickel. 

In the European Union, the Nickel Directive was introduced in 1994 to restrict nickel use in jewellery for this reason. It limits the amount of nickel permitted in a jewellery item to a particular level. 

This is not a universal directive, so it is possible to find nickel-white gold in jewellery manufactured overseas. However, in Australia, despite there being no legalised limits, nickel alloyed gold is not produced and its use is frowned upon in the jewellery industry.
The most commonly alloyed metals to produce white gold are palladium, platinum or silver. The exact combination and proportions of these are often a tightly guarded secret by metal manufacturers, and so there can be variation in both colour and workability between manufacturers. As long as the proportion of gold is correct according to fineness standards, the proportions and other elements added are at the discretion of local guidelines and the manufacturer’s discretion. 

White gold is somewhat more brittle than yellow gold, and can be slightly more difficult to manufacture with. Otherwise, it’s properties are similar to gold in terms of malleability and durability. The higher the proportion of gold the more chemical resistant it is. 

The primary disadvantage of white gold for the consumer is the need for regular rhodium plating. It is industry standard to rhodium-plate white gold in order to achieve the bright white finish that is desired by the customer. Rhodium is another metal, and it is plated in a fine layer that wears off over time. This means the piece has to be repolished and plated fairly regularly. Rhodium is expensive, and the cost of re-plating over the life of the piece has to be considered. As Rhodium is a member of the platinum family, the colour of rhodium plated white gold is the same bright white as platinum, as has the same complementary effect. 

Some contemporary jewellery is made in unplated white gold, but this is fairly unusual, and would usually be requested by the customer. White gold has a distinct warm-grey tone, when not rhodium plated. This can be desired, and can complement certain coloured stones and soften the bright contrast between platinum and white diamonds. Perhaps if a customer is not interested in the bright white of platinum and the regular rhodium plating of white gold, they may be more interested in unplated white gold. 

It is important to note to a customer that they will need the rhodium plating refreshed every year or so depending on wear, and to be aware of the possible nickel content in imported jewellery. 

Palladium has also been used as an alternative to white gold and platinum, but in the last five years the price has risen so steeply that it is rarely used due to the high material cost, at least in Australia. Currently, it is more expensive than platinum, although it is still cheaper than white gold. 

It is a member of the platinum family, and was isolated in 1809. Like platinum, palladium is naturally white and therefore does not require plating. It also does not tarnish, and is fairly malleable from a manufacturing perspective. 

Palladium has a specific gravity of 11.18, making it 40% lighter than platinum. This makes it useful when being used for larger pieces, preventing them from becoming too heavy. It is not as common mostly due to the fact it is less well known, and therefore people are less confident in using it. As with platinum, it has a bright white finish, but a slightly greyer tone. 

I would recommend Palladium when the look and feel of platinum is desired, but you don’t want the piece becoming too heavy. I would also recommend it where regular rhodium platinum would be required of white gold, such as in rings. 

In the end, while there are many benefits, the selection of which white metal comes down very strongly to the consumers preference of ‘gold’ or ‘other. It is important to try and guide them to the best selection for their individual piece, especially if it may be longer lasting and better suited to the design. This is especially true for platinum in Australia, as most consumers aren’t actually aware of the benefits of this metal. I’ve found with careful explanation, many are actually happier with the results in platinum where appropriate, even when their initial desire was for gold.

Sources:

Introduction to Precious Metals: Metallurgy for Jewelers and Silversmiths. M Grimwade. 

Jewellery Making for Schools and Craftsmen. M Bovin. 

The Theory and Practice of Goldsmithing

PAS Hand-held and field portable XRF radiation safety training course. 

Jewelry Metals: A Guide to Working With Common Alloys. J Binnion.https://www.assayofficelondon.co.uk/media/2595/palladium-an-introduction.pdf

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